EDF 5135: Adolescence
Course Objectives
By
completing this course, students will gain knowledge in 5 primary
domains related to adolescent development: nature of
developmental psychology, biological and cognitive development,
contexts within which adolescents live, social and emotional
development, and adolescent problems. Students will be able to:
- Discuss 6 theories of development and their impact
on the study of adolescents
- Distinguish between biological and environmental
influences in development and discuss their dynamic
interaction.
- Describe the process and stages of puberty.
- Describe Piaget's theory of cognitive development
and use this theory to describe adolescent behavior.
- Identify myths related to adolescent interactions
with the primary family and describe specific methods to
increase adolescent family unity.
- Describe changes in adolescent-peer interaction
over the course of adolescence and identify methods
suitable to help adolescents maintain positive peer
relationships.
- Identify changing needs of adolescents in relation
to school settings, and appropriate responses schools can
make.
- Use knowledge of cultural differences to describe
varying ranges of adolescent behavior and needs.
- Describe Erikson's stages of development and
illustrate this theories utility in working with
adolescents and young adults.
- Identify important gender differences in
adolescence and describe current theories of gender
growth and development; discuss facilitating positive
gender identity.
- Understand the range of sexual behaviors that
adolescents engage in; describe methods that have been
shown effective in decreasing dangerous behaviors;
differentiate healthy sexuality from deviance and
pathology and discuss methods of fostering healthy sexual
identity development.
- Identify at least 2 different theories of moral
development and discuss the limits of attempting to teach
moral behavior.
- Describe the role of work and career motivation in
the life of the developing adolescent.
- Identify specific interventions that have proven
useful in decreasing adolescent problems such as
depression, substance use, and juvenile delinquency.